1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a honeycomb structure and a manufacturing method of the honeycomb structure, and more particularly, it relates to a honeycomb structure in which a stress is prevented from being concentrated on each end portion at canning and during use and hence cracks are not easily generated, and a manufacturing method of the honeycomb structure.
2. Description of Related Art
Heretofore, a honeycomb structure has been used as a collecting filter to remove a particulate matter (PM) discharged from a diesel engine or the like. As the honeycomb structure for use as the particulate matter collecting filter, there has been used a plugged honeycomb structure including plugged portions at predetermined positions in both end surfaces (see e.g., Patent Document 1).
Here, the plugged honeycomb structure includes a honeycomb structure part having porous partition walls with which a plurality of cells are formed to become through channels of a fluid, and plugged portions arranged in end portions of the predetermined cells on a fluid inlet side and end portions of the remaining cells on a fluid outlet side. These plugged portions are usually alternately arranged in the predetermined cells and the remaining cells so as to form a so-called checkered pattern. According to such a plugged honeycomb structure, when an exhaust gas flows into the cells through an end surface of the structure on the inlet side of the exhaust gas, the exhaust gas which has flowed into the cells passes through the partition walls. Moreover, when the exhaust gas passes through the partition walls, the PM contained in the exhaust gas is collected by the partition walls. Therefore, the exhaust gas which has passed through the partition walls is discharged as the purified gas.